Apparatus for conveying and spraying material



May 24, 1932. s 1,859,359

APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING AND SPRAYING MATERIAL Filed April 15, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IINVENTOR j FM May 24, 1932. G. FISK 1,859,359

' APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING AND SPRAYING MATERIAL clean surface.

Pater-ted May 1.932 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GUSTAF L. FISK, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO MESTA MACHINE,

COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION 'OF PENNSYLVANIA APPARATUS ron CONVEYING AND srname MATERIAL Application filed April is,

The present invention relates broadly to the art of material handling, and more particularly to an improved conveyor system adapted especially forconveying hot metal strips, bars and the like. I

In many cases in the art of metal Working, iti's desirable to produce a quasi-finished or intermediate product having a relatively By clean surface I mean a surface relatively free from scale or the like.

It is well recognized in the art that in the hot rolling of metal, the metal leaves the rolls at such a temperature that scale is rapidly formed, the scale being an oxide of iron forming on the surface of the hot metal in contact with the oxygen of the air. It will therefore be apparent that the surface characteristics of the metal may be improved by keeping the metal out ofcontact with air during the cooling thereof. The present invention relates to an improved method and apparatus by means of which such air exclusion is effectivelyobtained.

It will further be apparent that the scale formation may be reduced by reducing the time interval during. which the material is at a temperature high enough to form such an oxide. The present invention in addi tion to retaining the metal out of oxidizing contact with the air during the cooling period, also preferably contemplates means for expediting the cooling, whereby the time interval for oxidation is injtself reduced.

As one example of a material on which scale is particularly objectionable, reference may be made to sheet bars'utilized for the formation of sheet material such as tin plate. If excessive scale is present on such sheet bars, the .resultin g product is obviously of inferior quality. I

When it is considered that'not infrequently sheet bars, which may vary in widths from approximately 8 inches to 24 inches; in thickness from fl of an inch or less to 11/ inches or more and having lengths of a1, winly 30 feet, are customarily produced from a heated slab having approximately thewidth of tl bar to be furnisln-d and from 6 inches to 8 inches thick which is reduced by rolling under high temperature, the. problems inci- 1931. Serial No. 529,594.

dent to the prevention of scale formation will be appreciated. Suchslabs not infrequently weigh as much as 10,000 lbs. and when destand of the mill which are normally in free contact with the air tend to oxidize quickly whereby objectionable scale of the character referred to necessarily results. The present invention is hereinafter illustrated in connection witha conveyor of this character, althou h it will be understood that the utility of t e invention is not limited either with respect to the particular type or constructional characteristics of the conveyor or to the sizes or char-. acter of the material being-conveyed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view partially in top plan and partially in section, being taken on the line I-I of Figure 2;

Figure 2 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in. section of the conveyor illustrated in Figure 1, and taken along the line II-II of Figure -1; and

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view along the line IIIIII of Figure 1.

Ithas heretofore been customary'in the art to which-this invention relates, to provide cooling means with certain types of'conveyors. In the more primitive forms, such cooling means have comprised longitudinally extending pipe drilled to direct jets of water onto the-material. Such pipes have usually only been located above the conveyor and have therefore not been effective for completely surrounding the material with a watel film. They have further been so located as to interfere somewhat with easy access to the conveyor. In other cases, the coolin means has com rised a series of nozzles e fective for pro ecting water jets in either a the last stand of rolls, may have a the same fr om shafts 7 carrying vertical or a horizontal direction. With relatively narrow materlal, or when one section of material has passed over the jets, the water has been sprayed upwardly the conveyor, thus giving a sloppy installation.

In other cases t to travel between upper and lower spray members which, while satisfactorily performing the intended function,'have been ob ectionable for the reason that they practically preclude access to the material on the conveyor without dismantling the installation. One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a construction which will effectively cool the material, maintain it surrounded by a non-oxidizing atmosphere, which will preclude any water discharge outside of the confines of the system itself, and will provide ready access to material on the conveyor and to the conveyor itself for inspection, repairs, etc.-, without'dismantling the conveyor.

In the accompanying drawings there is shown a conveyor comprising side girders 2 and ,3 held in the desired spaced and assembled relationship by means of suitable spreader, spacer and tie-bolt assemblies 4.

Extending transversely between the girders is a series of conveying rollers 5 of any desired construction and provided with suitable journals 6 as understood inthe art. The

the rollers are illustrated as provided with bevel gears 8 meshing with similar gears 9 on a main shaft 10 extending longitudinally of the girder 3 and suitably journaled therein. This main shaft may be driven in any desired'manner, as in the art, whereby all of the conve ers may be simultaneously rotate desired direction for advancing material therealong. The individual rollers may each have a motor which will eliminate the-bevel gears and main shaft.

Also extending transversely of the girders, and intermediate the rollers 5 are spray or rolltroughs 11. These spray troughs are herein lllustrated as comprising a series of in-' dividual sections, each suitably secured in position and as being in the form of hollow castings each havlng an openmg 12 adapted 'to alignwith similar openings 14 in the girders 2. This girder is likewise illustrated as being of hollow construction and as having an open- 1ng15 by means'of which it may be continuously supplied with water under suitable pressure.

With the parts assembled, the water will pass from the girder'2 into the body of the spray troughs 11 filling the bottom portion 16 thereof and" the two sides portions 17. The bottom 16 is illustrated as being formed with a series of corrugations or ribs 18 having one or both sides thereof extending at an oblique angle -to the supporting surface of the rollers 5. v These inclined sides are formed and away frome material has been caused understood.

, in the with perforations or openings19'adapted to form jets 20 extending in a general upward and lateral direction, the angle of inclination of the jets being such that with no material on the rollers 5 against the sides 17.

illustrated asprovided adjacent the upper portions with ribs or corrugations 22 providing oblique walls in which are formed openings 23. While these openings may be arranged in any desired manner, they are conveniently arranged in a series of inclined rows along lines such as the lines L of Figure. 2. The inclination of these lines is preferably suehthat the uppermost jet in one line will be spaced from the lowermost jet in the preceding line by the horizontal distance between jets of the same line, although such an arrangement is not essential.

By drilling the individual jet openings in each line at slightly different angles, each line of openings will produce a sheet-like discharge which will gradually diverge so as to increase the area over which each line of jets is effective. The relationship of the openings in any case is such that the discharge. from the two side walls will substantially completely cover the upper surface of any material bein conveyed by the rollers 5.

In FigureB, Iia've illustrated -a piece of material M in position on the conveying rollers, it being obvious from this figure that the individual jets 20, which may be angularly travels onwardly, and thereby uncovers the jets 20, these jets will, by reason of their in- 1 clination as before described, impinge against the side walls 21, the corrugations 22 assisting in preventing the water'from travelling upwardly along such side walls.

It is to be further observed that the openings 19 .are located above the bottoms of thetroughs 25 formed by the corrugations or ribs 18 and below the upper surfaces 26 of such ribs or corrugations. faces 26 are likewise so disposed as to normally lie below the supporting plane of the rollers 5 in such manner as to normally be out of supporting engagementwith the material M travelling over the rollers, although effective for engaging and supporting the materialin-the event of sagging thereof.

The sides 17 are also preferably formed atsuitable intervals with inspection and clean out openings 27 normally closed by means of suitable cover plates 28.

By reason scribed, it will he apparent that material passingover the conveyor is rapidly cooled to a temperature below that at which scal the jets will impinge The upper surof the construction just dc- The inner walls 21 of the sides 17 are also air from contact therewith and thereby preventing an oxidizing atmosphere from reachingrthe material.

ot onlyis the obliquity of the jets 'such as to maintain the water discharged thereby within the confines of the trough sections, but

it is such as to effect a scouring action on the under surface of the material, a similar action being efi'ected by-the jets 24. Not only does the scouring action thus obtained tend to more effectively clean the surfaces of the material, but it tends to maintain a film of cooling water in intimate contact with the material, thereby more effectively accomplishing the desired cooling thereof.

In the event the material does sag-onto the surface 26 as before described, it cannot that such a flow of water,

close the openings 19 and the holes are there fore so located as to always permit a free discharge therefrom. The scale and dirt re,- moved from the material by the scouring action above described will tend to collect in the troughs and be discharged from the trough sections adjacent the rollers 5. As before pointed out, however, the openings 19 are above the bottoms 20 of these troughs so scale, dirt and other impurities does not interfere with the desired jet formation.

The obliquity of the jets, by being of such nature that the unimpeded jets will impinge against parts of the trough structure, makes the apparatus self-eontainedand precludes the discharge of water over the sides of the spray troughs 11. This makes it unnecessary to for the conveyor to interfere with the free accessibility to the conveyor parts and to the material thereon.

From the foregoing description taken inconnection with the drawings forming a part of the present application, it will be apparture at which scale formation ent that material travelling along the con-- veyor is not only rapidly coole to a temperais prevented,

but it is continuously maintained in asubstantially oxygen-free atmosphere such that scale formation is prevented.- This oxygenfree atmosphere is in turnprovided by means effective for scouring and cleaning the mate- 'r1al and thereby improving its surface characteristics. As will be further apparent, these desirable advantages are obtained in an open topped structure in which free accessibility may be had at all times to the material being conveyed. While I have herein illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and have referred to the same into steam, I

provide any special covering means,

in connection with a particular type of material, it will be understood thatt inventom wall.

I 2. In a conveyor, supporting and convey.- ing means, and cooling troughs intermediate said means and provided with corrugated bottom and side walls having inclined jet openings therein, the jet openings in the bottom wall being at such an inclmation as tov direct fluid discharged therefrom directly to- .ward said side walls. i

3. In a conveyor, supporting and conveying means, and a cooling trough intermediate said means, said trough being effective for deliverin liquely exten ing upwardly and downwardly directed jets onto the material carried by said conveying and supporting means, said cooling trough being entirely unobstructed throughout the length and width thereof in a plane above the b ttom wall.

4. The combination with a conveyor com-v prising a series of rollers and means for driving said rollers, of hollow trough sections intermediate said rollers, and means for delivering cooling water to said trough sections, each of said sections having a plurality of inclined discharge openings dlrected substantially entirely toward the side walls ofvthe trough sections. I

5. The combination with a conveyor comprising a series of rollers and means for driving said rollers, of hollow trough sections in termediate said rollers and extending'substantially the full distance between adJacent rollers, and a hollow supporting girder for saidrollersfor deliverin coolin water to said trough sections, eac having a plurality of inclined discharge openings.

6. The combination with a conveyor com prising a series of rollers and means for driving said rollers, of hollow'trough sections intermediate said rollers having hollow-bottom and side walls, and means for delivering cooling water to said hollow bottom and side walls, each of said trough sections having formed therein a plurality of obliquely extending openings.

7.- The combination with a conveyor comprisinga series of rollers and means for riving said rollers, of.hollow troughsecside walls having jet.open-.

' of said sections and width thereof in a plane above the hot; 380

a plurality of opposed o'b-- l tions intermediate said rollers and extending substantially the full distance between adjacent rollers and'having hollow bottom and side walls, and means for delivering cooling water to said trough sections, each of said side walls having formed therein a plurality of obliquely and downwardly extending openings, and each of said bottom walls path of having formed therein a plurality of obliquely and upwardly extending openings.

8; In a conveyor, conveying means, a trough section intermediate said conveying means and having formed with a plurality of corrugations, there being discharge openings formed in said corrugations, and means for supplying cooling water to said openings, the cor-rugations and openings being so arrangedthat the corrugations in the side walls lie in the discharge from the openings in the corrugations of the bottom wall.

9; In a conveyor, conveying means, a

trough section cooperatmg with said conveying means and comprising hollow. side and bottom walls, and means for supplying water to said hollow side and bottom walls, said bottom walls being formed with a plurality of openings inclined toward said side walls so that the water discharged therefrom will impinge against the side walls when unopposed by material on a conveyor.

10. The combination with a conveyor comprising a longitudinally extending hollow girder, having a water inlet and a water outlet, of conveying rolls journaled' in said gird:- er, and a hollow trough intermediate said conveying rolls and having an inlet opening alining with the outlet opening in said girder.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

GUSTAF L. FISK.

side and bottom walls each carried by said girder 

